Difficulty in breathing or increased rate of breathing are common causes of admission to intensive care unit. This may be due to heart failure, or other causes such as infection in the lungs. Treating doctors usually perform Chest X-ray, ECG, and other tests to know if breathlessness is due to heart failure or other cause. Doctors also give medicines to treat heart failure, or other conditions of the lungs based on the symptoms and investigation results. BNP is released by heart which is not functioning well. However BNP levels are also high in case of severe infection.Hence there is equipoise in utility of BNP measurements among critically ill patients, and it is not a current standard of care. The current cost of this test (about 1000 rupees per measurement) is high, and hence its utility needs to be carefully examined before a widespread use. The investigators intend to test the hypothesize that that on-admission BNP measurements, help clinicians identify CHF early, which may modify therapeutic decisions, and improve outcomes. The current study is designed with an objective to determine if on-admission BNP value and availability of its test results to treating physicians will reduce in-hospital, and 30-day mortality and in-hospital morbidity.

To compare the difference in cumulative dose of diuretics, parenteral antibiotics, corticosteroids, and bronchodilators administered within first 24 hours of admission to ICU, between groups A and B.

Time to initiate heart failure specific therapies [ Time Frame: During hospital stay and upto 30-days after admission to hospital ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

To Compare the difference in time to initiate heart failure specific therapies (diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers, and spironolactone) in groups A and B, during hospital stay and upto 30-days of admission to hospital.

Treating physician considers patient to be critically ill so as to warrant care in intensive care unit.

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients for whom consent is not obtained will be excluded from the study

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01685385